Incidents caused by inaccurately located utility lines have resulted in costly damage to infrastructure as well as loss of human life. In a traditional utility line locating operation (also denoted herein as a “locate” for brevity), a user moves about a locate area with a hand-held utility locator device (also denoted herein as a “utility locator” or simply “locator” for brevity) to detect magnetic field signals emanating from utility lines and/or other conductors hidden or buried underground. Existing locators are typically configured to detect either signals resulting from current signals intentionally coupled to the utility line (denoted herein as “active signals”), such as with a transmitter device, or “passive signals,” which are signals resulting from currents incidentally induced upon the utility from overhead utility lines, radio sources (e.g., from broadcast antennas or other signal sources), or other electromagnetic signal sources. Traditional locating uses one or the other type, but typical not both simultaneously.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to address the above-described as well as other problems.